ADRIAN — Todd Harder of Adrian had a close encounter recently with a well-known actor.

While attending the Comanche Fair in Oklahoma in late September, Harder, the owner of Red Paint Printing in Adrian, met Johnny Depp, who has appeared in numerous movies, including the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series. Depp, who is part Cherokee, is now starring as Tonto in the new Lone Ranger movie, which will be released in 2013.

“Because that character was a Comanche, he was adopted into the tribe,” Harder said. “His adoptive mother is LaDonna Harris (president of Americans for Indian Opportunity), a well-known Native American historian.”

The skateboarding event is associated with the Comanche Nation, of which Harder is a part. The tribe sends qualifiers to the All Nation’s Skate, which is hosted by Harder’s nonprofit organization, Nibwaa- kaawin. He was invited to attend the national event and presented Depp with a pair of Pendleton Vans shoes, created by the company that makes high-end Indian blankets.

Each tribe has a pattern on its blankets, Harder said, and the shoes he presented to Depp are the Comanche pattern.

“Blankets are a big tradition in our culture. A lot of our ceremonies involve the giving of blankets, which is the highest honor,” he said. “Every native family has quite a few Pendleton blankets.”

Vans makes the shoes and Harder’s nonprofit organization sells them to raise funds. Nibwaakaawin, which is Ojibway for “wisdom,” uses skateboarding as a tool to reach young Native Americans and steer them away from drugs, alcohol, gangs and other negative lifestyles, Harder said.

“We try to reach Native American youth in a positive way,” he said.

Depp attended the Comanche Fair as a guest, Harder said, but it was difficult to tell that the actor was famous. He was down-to-earth and polite, especially to his adoptive mother and to children attending the fair.

“He was really cool, a nice guy, and did a whole session talking with the children who attended,” Harder said. “He didn’t carry himself like a big-time actor. He was very polite and showed his Kentucky roots by the way he acted.”